The Coke Zero 400 didn’t upset the Chase apple cart. At least for now, it strung it out.

 

The point leader, Tony Stewart, extended his lead to 180, but that really doesn’t mean as much as the fact that he won for the second time. The Chase order, eight races away now, is based on wins, not points.

The order of the top 10 didn’t change. Juan Montoya moved up to 11th, Kasey Kahne to 12th, and Mark Martin fell to 13th, 65 points out of the Chase margin.

This is significant. If the Chase began today — and, of course, it doesn’t — Martin would have 30 bonus points he can’t use.

Five drivers — Martin (-65), David Reutimann (-74), Jeff Burton (-105), Clint Bowyer (-135) and Brian Vickers (-168) — are within 200 points of 12th place. Barring a remarkable recovery — three consecutive victories by a driver outside the top 12, for instance — the field of the contenders is, all of a sudden, narrowing, and the long shots are getting longer.

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  • en: Visionary Leadership isn't about great speeches or pulpit inspiration. It's about solving problems every day with the 'vision in mind'. 07/10/09 11:18am
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